The recent Make Your Mark course false-start left me in a weird headspace. I felt directionless and confused, strung out on too much caffeine and not enough sleep, and high on the awesome feedback I received from you guys. (Thank you!!!)
So when a friend asked me to leave Wellington for a long weekend of rock climbing and camping, my gut immediately said YESSSSS!
I packed some shorts and tank tops, climbing gear, 3 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and walked downtown early Thursday morning. We piled into their little red car and headed north for a weekend of no wifi, no Instagram, no cell phones, no Snapchat, no business chatter.
I didn’t bring a camera. I didn’t vlog. And *gasp* I didn’t hustle.
We lost track of the hours. We woke with the sun. We lived in the AIR. (I realize now how little I feel the actual wind on my skin in the Monday-Friday burn.) We fell asleep to singing locusts. Made coffee over open flames.
We drank wine and whiskey and swam under the stars and laid in the grass as we watched satellites pass through the sky, up and down, left and right.
Four days sleeping on the ground and playing in the dirt left my skin tanned, salty, and covered in dust.
We climbed on rocks all day. High in the sky, nothing keeping you from the ground but a few pieces of metal and some rope. In those moments—when my skin pulsated on a sharp piece of volcanic rock beneath my fingertips, when I could reach farther and risk falling 15 feet into the unknown—I wasn’t thinking about email open rates or Instagram captions or $100K goals.
And in the moments between we shared stories and laughed and acted like kids again. At first it felt like waking up on another planet. I almost forgot how good it feels to play for the hell of it.
It was muscle I hadn’t worked in a while, but by the end I danced around, laughed a lot and smacked high-five’s right along with the rest of 'em.
It was a weekend I'll never forget. It was summer, and we were young and free.
That is life. Real life. People. Love. Friends. Jumping into cold water. Gathering. Laughing til your stomach aches. Feeling scared. Pushing your limits. Saying YES.
If you want to be a better entrepreneur or artist or creative, live your life. Live REAL life—whatever that may look like for you, but NOT just on a screen.
Say yes to something real. Go to a new city. Go on a date. Be uncomfortable for a hot second. Sweat. Look your lover in the eyes. Climb a tree and watch the sun set. Let yourself stop and be overwhelmed by the beauty.
LIVE.
Looking for creative projects!
Did you know I am a graphic designer/illustrator and I am open for new projects? Well I am! I’ve got 4 mini branding package spots left this winter/spring. Or, if you're on the hunt for hand-drawn, whimsical, memorable illustrations + design, email me. Anyone can hack some graphics on Canva—let's make yours unmistakably stand out from the pack. Reply and tell me what you've got cookin'!
No projects on deck? I'd still love your support!
If you’re not looking for a designer, I’d be so grateful if you would consider contributing to my Patreon page.
By saying YES to even $1 or $5, you are investing in ME. It is my mission to delight and be real with you. To share all the battles and victories. To build a community of people who believe in the power of pure, heart-centered, honest creativity.
This isn't just for me. This is for you. This is for you if you feel like you don't fit into any one category of 'entrepreneur', 'artist', 'designer' or anything else. If you feel like everyone's telling you what to do, but nothing feels right. Like you have so many ideas and curiosities that seem to conflict. Like you don't really belong anywhere.
You belong here. By investing in me you are becoming a part of my tribe, and we're in this together.
Great things are on the way. I KNOW it.